Tears in Heaven
by CelfwrDderwydd
Summary: When you've lost everything, when you've hit the bottom, when it seems that nobody cares, you can find it hard to find a reason to go on. However, there is always someone who cares for you, if only you know where to look. One-Shot.


Disclaimer: The author does not own Aliens.

**Tears in Heaven**

by

CelfwrDderwydd

"And next is our most interesting case: Patient 11-55-0947; Daniel Gwynn," said the imperious voice of the doctor. "Approximately eighteen months ago, the patient attempted suicide. He was transferred to acute care from the hospital. Once he was judged not to be a threat to himself or others, he was transferred here." The group of white-coated doctors looked at the subject of their conversation as he sat in a chair in the conference room.

Daniel was of fairly average height and a slim build. His chestnut hair was a little on the long side. Like all the patients, he was dressed in blue pants and shirt, with white sneakers. Through all the conversation of the doctors, his teal eyes stared into space, not seeming to notice the doctors at all.

"The patient has apparently suffered a psychic break, and has been totally unresponsive since he arrived. I'm told he was the same at the previous facility," said Dr. Andrews, the director of the facility.

"He hasn't said a single word to anybody." One of the doctors, a woman, moved forward and snapped her fingers in front of Daniel's eyes.

"Daniel? Can you hear me?" she asked. Daniel didn't even blink, his eyes staring off into space, as if she wasn't even there. She waved her hand in front of his face, still no response. She looked back at Dr. Andrews. "What kind of drugs has he been on?" she asked. Dr. Andrews shrugged.

"The whole gamut. No effect," he replied.

"A few centuries ago, we'd have just given him electroshock therapy," chuckled one of the other doctors. Several others chuckled as well. Daniel didn't move or react in any way. Dr. Andrews stood up and walked over to Daniel.

"But, he's completely compliant. Watch this," he said as he looked at Daniel. "Daniel, please stand," ordered Dr. Andrews. To their surprise, Daniel did as he was asked. Dr. Andrews smiled. "As you can see, he still has some basic mental capabilities." The group of doctors began to murmur and talk animatedly at this.

Daniel continued to stare off into space as the doctors talked among themselves. As he stared out the large bay window at the back of the conference room, he saw the green treetops of the woods on the hillside outside. Outside the window was a bed of roses. A blue butterfly fluttered down and perched delicately on one of the pink roses. Daniel's eyes locked on the tiny, but beautiful insect. Even from a distance, his eyes carefully studied the pattern of black and white spots on the cerulean wings.

As Dr. Andrews moved by the window, the butterfly took wing and fluttered away. Dr. Andrews cleared his throat as he looked at Daniel. "Thank you, Daniel. Please go back to your room," said Dr. Andrews. Daniel turned and left the room as the doctors talked.

XXX

Daniel sat on his bed. He pulled out a plastic bag and looked at the contents. Many pills, mostly blue and green ones, almost filled the bag.

Every morning and every night, they made all the patients take their medicines. They would make patients open their mouths to make sure they had swallowed them before letting them leave.

Daniel, though, had been able to hide his between his cheek and gums. At first, he had taken the stuff, and he had felt like his brain fell over in his skull. However, with how long he had been storing these away, he was pretty sure he now had enough. Now, all he had to do was decide where and when. He looked down at his left arm.

A long, thin scar ran from his wrist up to his elbow. Despite the fact that it was a low-security facility, they still didn't let the patients anywhere near anything like blades. That said, if someone was smart, patient and more than a little creative, there was a way. It had been a long, complicated road, but it was almost at its end. His face expressionless, he returned the bag to its hiding place.

XXX

The next day, Daniel sat in the cafeteria, staring into space, like he always did. That, though, did not mean he was oblivious to his surroundings.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a man sitting at one of the other tables, trying to build a house of cards. The man's tongue was sticking out comically as he carefully placed the cards. The house of cards suddenly fell down, the two cards still in his hands. The man grinned widely as he threw up the cards in the air.

"Ollie-ollie-otzen-free!" he shouted gleefully. That was Noodle, one of the longest residents of the facility.

Nobody knew exactly where he came from, but he was always jolly and trying to build his house of cards. He never succeeded, but that didn't stop him from trying. He always was talking about "angels" or "Faeries" and what they whispered, but nobody seemed able to hear. He said it made them frustrated that "Nobody seems to be listening".

On the other side of the cafeteria, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, was Mary, AKA "Bloody Mary", who was one of the few people in the facility who could be truly dangerous. As she quietly ate her slice of peach pie, everyone, orderly and patient stayed well-away from her. She was also easily provoked, medicated or not.

"How's it hanging, nutzos?" said a voice. Daniel inwardly groaned, although his face remained as blank as ever.

The green-clad orderly swaggered into the cafeteria like a sheriff, his thumbs just barely hooked under his belt due to his large gut.

Wallace Brimple was your classic bully, and would surely win the Jerk-Of-The-Year Award every year without fail. The fat, balding orderly grinned as he walked over to Daniel. "Hey, Drool-Face, you gonna finish that?" Brimple asked, indicating Daniel's Chicken Fettuccine. Brimple grinned as he took the plate and fork. "Of course you're not. Well, no sense in letting it go to waste," said the fat orderly as he helped himself. Daniel didn't move his eyes, but watched Brimple out of the corner of his vision.

"_I hope when they find my body, it's on your watch, you fat sack of excrement. Then, it'll go on your record,"_ Daniel mentally growled. Daniel just kept his blank look, seeming unaware of the surrounding world.

The day passed as slowly as the others did. It was at group therapy that Daniel always had the hardest time. He didn't even know why they had him there. He hadn't said one word to another soul in all the time he'd been there.

The group therapist, Jan, looked at Daniel as he sat with the rest of the patients.

"How about you, Daniel? Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" she asked. Daniel remained as silent and unresponsive as he always did. All he had to do was just wait until therapy was over, then they'd let them go to the rec room. "Would you like to talk about your wife, Daniel?" Jan asked.

It took every ounce of will power Daniel had to keep from jumping up and screaming. How _dare_ they mention _her_?! Jan smiled at him. "It's not your fault she died, you know," she said softly.

"_She's not talking about you! She's talking about someone else!"_ he said mentally.

"I know you loved her a lot," Jan continued. To his credit, Daniel outwardly remained calm and indifferent, but inside, he was frantic.

"_Shut up! Shut up! Stop talking, goddammit!"_ he mentally screamed. Every word that poured out of Jan's mouth was like a dagger in his heart.

"And I know she loved you. So would the baby, if she'd lived . . .," Daniel was almost at his breaking point, seriously considering throwing his plans to the wind and picking up the chair and throwing it at a wall, just to make her stop talking. Salvation came from the most unlikely person.

"There's a new patient for you, Jannie. Doc Andrews says they'd do better in therapy than Danny would," said Brimple as he showed a young woman into the room. Jan smiled at the new patient. "Andrews says Danny might do better outside, in the gardens," said Brimple.

"A wonderful idea! Daniel, please follow Wallace," said Jan. Daniel stood as slowly as he could, as he was almost ready to leap up and run from the room. He never thought he'd be so happy to see Brimple.

XXX

Once Daniel was outside in the gardens, Brimple left him to his own devices, much to Daniel's relief. He was almost trembling. Daniel found a chair and almost collapsed in it. It was taking everything he had not to just break down right there.

"Suh, ah do declare, ah'm surprised to see y'all out here," said a voice. Daniel looked up at Noodle as he grinned, wiping the dirt from his hands. "A mighty fine day it is to be gardenin'. Mah okra is growing mighty fine!" he said proudly as he came close. Noodle's brow creased with concern as he looked at Daniel.

Two streams of tears flowed down his face, but, otherwise, his face was the same as always.

"Suh, what eva's the matta?" asked Noodle. Daniel just looked ahead, like he always did. Noodle wiped Daniel's face with a tissue. "What happened? Did that fat polecat pick on y'all?" The grizzled older man's blue eyes seemed to shine with understanding and empathy. "Well, y'all just relax. There's some nice, cozy woods over yonder. Why don't yo go sit under one o' them nice, cool oak trees?" Daniel looked over where Noodle pointed.

The small forest that covered part of the hillside was a mix of pines, oaks and aspens that settlers had planted hundreds of years ago, when the planet was just a desolate mining world. The woods were shaded and peaceful-looking. Daniel wanted to hug Noodle, but simply stood and walked towards the woods. As he walked, he saw a paper cup of water someone had left and picked it up as he passed by. As he walked, Daniel felt the bulge of the bag of pills in his pocket. He'd found the perfect place.

The woods were peaceful, the sounds of birds echoing around, like something from Old Earth.

Daniel was almost trembling as he walked among the tall, old oaks. He almost tripped over a very large root. He looked around at the small clearing. He sighed as he sipped some of the water to wet his dry throat. He pulled the bag of pills from his pocket as he sat on the root of the great oak tree.

For what seemed like the first time in eternity, his face creased into a frown, then into a forlorn look of unrestrained sorrow as the tears returned, along with the memories.

XXX

Daniel paced in the waiting room, breathing heavily. What was taking so long? He was excited, but also nervous. He was actually going to be a daddy! He was probably going to get a dozen tickets for speeding on the way there, but he couldn't care less. Hell, he'd buy all the cops in town a round of beer! Where the heck were the doctors? Daniel looked back up at the clock on the wall for the millionth time. Daniel thought on his wife, Amy, and smiled as he thought of her holding their new baby girl in her arms. Despite being a full-grown man, Daniel giggled, almost twitching with excitement. The sound of a door opening behind him caught his attention. Daniel whirled, all smiles, to face the doctor. The smile died quickly as he saw the look on the doctor's face.

The doctor wasn't smiling, but wore a serious expression.

"Mr. Gwynn . . .," the doctor winced, as if pained. Daniel frowned as he looked at the doctor.

"What's wrong? What's the matter?" he asked. The doctor looked even more pained.

"I think you should sit down," the doctor replied. Daniel felt a pit in his stomach at that.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked, his tone harsher. The doctor closed his eyes and sighed.

"It's called an "amniotic embolism". Your wife . . .," The doctor looked at Daniel, his eyes serious, but sympathetic. "We tried to save them, we really did," Daniel took a step back, his pupils growing huge in his teal eyes. He began to shake.

"No . . . no, you're lying." His voice was quivering. The doctor looked away, as if ashamed.

"It was so sudden and so unexpected. There was nothing we could do. I'm sorry."

Daniel was almost hyperventilating.

"No. You're wrong . . . _You're lying!_" Daniel screamed as he roughly shoved the doctor out of his way as he dashed through the doors. "Amy?! Amy!" he yelled as he ran through the hallways of the hospital. An orderly stopped him.

"Sir, you can't-" Daniel punched him right in the nose. The orderly stumbled back as his broken nose gushed blood. Daniel was frantic as he dashed, shoving or punching anyone or anything that got in his way.

"Amy! Amy?!" he screamed as he ran. He was almost breathless as he arrived at the doors of the surgery suite, shoving the doors open.

He just barely caught a glimpse of Amy's face as the surprised nurse covered her with a sheet. A tiny form next to her was also covered. Daniel's eyes brimmed with tears as he screamed in mortal agony. _"__**NO!**__"_

XXX

Even now, his eyes felt like they were on fire as the unwanted memories returned. It seemed both an eternity ago, and as if just yesterday. He gave a soft, almost silent sob as he trembled. He almost spilled the cup of water. He sniffled as he looked at the bag of pills. With a weary sigh, he opened the bag and poured a few pills into his hand.

With this much, he would just go to sleep, and, if all went well, when he woke up, he'd be with Amy and the baby. Tears streamed down his face as he raised his cup, as if in a toast.

"I'll see you soon, honey . . .," he said as he took a mouthful of water. As he was about to drop the pills into his open mouth, someone, or something spoke.

_Please . . . don't._

Daniel choked and gagged on the water, spitting it out, along with the pills as he coughed. As he stopped coughing, he looked around. He was alone in the woods. He looked at what remained of the water in the cup. There was still enough, and more than enough pills. _Please don't,_ the soft voice repeated. Daniel almost jumped. He trembled as he buried his face against his knees, his back against the oak tree. He really _was_ going crazy. Now he was hearing voices.

"No . . . why? Why? Why me? Why did this happen? What did I do? What did Amy do?" Daniel sobbed.

_Please, don't cry,_ said the voice. He could feel something, as if something caressed his mind. It was warm and gentle. As Daniel looked up, he could see something in the ground. He blinked away some tears. He shifted, and could see a large hole in the ground, overgrown with vines and ferns. As the winds rustled the leaves and branches of the trees, the voice spoke again. _Please don't cry._ Daniel wiped his tears and he crawled forward and looked down the dark hole.

It was so deep, he couldn't see the bottom. As he looked, he saw stones in the side, and knew it for what it was: it was an old well, probably used by the miners, centuries ago. _Please, come. Follow the path,_ the voice urged, seeming to draw his attention behind him. Daniel looked behind him at the forest. He looked back down the old well, then back where this . . . presence, seemed to be directing him. He sniffled, looking as lost as he felt. He almost staggered a he stood and slowly walked along a path that forest animals seemed to use.

He shortly came to a dry creek or riverbed. The roots of another large oak ran down into the dry bed. Many ferns and vines grew along the banks. Daniel carefully climbed down the root and stood on the smooth river rocks, looking around. His attention was drawn to where the roots of the tree were, a curtain of ivy draped over them. He knelt and pulled the vines aside, revealing a hole on the riverbank.

He hesitated, looking into the dark hole that led underground.

Was he going crazy? Was he hearing voices? If so, how did he know how to find this place? If he really _did_ hear something, was it some monster under the well, looking for an easy meal? _I won't hurt you. Please, come,_ Daniel blinked and shook his head. He looked into the darkness and sighed. If there was something deadly down there, it was going to have its easiest meal yet. Dead was dead, after all. He stooped and entered the hole.

Inside the hole, it was black as pitch, but the way was straight. He didn't feel anything like bones or torn scraps of clothing on the floor, or anything else that indicated this place was the den of some horrible monster, hungry for human flesh. He almost tripped on a root, but kept his balance.

As he followed the path, he thought on the voice he had heard. It was very soft, and gentle, and also seemed . . . feminine? He frowned as he felt the walls of the tunnel change. They didn't feel like their were stone, but they weren't roots, either. They felt ribbed, though.

Daniel blinked as he saw a tiny prick of light ahead. He focused his eyes as he felt the wall of the tunnel give way to a larger room. The light dimmed as he entered the room. He looked up, and saw the entrance of the well he had been looking down not a few minutes ago, up, high above his head.

_I'm glad you came,_ said the voice. Daniel almost jumped. It sounded so loud, now.

"Who are you?" Daniel asked. He blinked as he could hear the distinctive sound of breathing, and not the breathing of anything small.

_I'm a friend,_ the voice replied. Daniel stayed where he was, looking around, even though he knew he would never see anything in the darkness. He knew that whoever, or, more appropriately _what_ever, had called to him was watching him from the darkness. _Don't be afraid. You're safe here,_ the voice comforted. Daniel blinked as he felt that same gentle warmth in his mind.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked.

_I felt your sorrow. I could see and hear your anguish._ Daniel blinked as the tears returned. Then, the clouds covering the sun cleared, the shaft of sunlight shining brightly down the old well, illuminating something large and shiny. Daniel stared in awe.

It was huge, towering well above him. There were no eyes in the dark face that seemed to stare back. Two small arms were tucked against a large, armored chest, two much larger arms glittered in the dim light beside him. He could see a large, regal crest behind the face. He should have been terrified, but, instead, he was amazed. He only looked down when the two large hands gently wrapped around his chest, picking him up. He looked into the being's face as the edges of its lips curled upwards into a soft smile. _Such a handsome face, but it would look much better without these tears to mar it,_ said the same feminine voice as one of the smaller hands gently wiped his tears.

Daniel had no idea what this strange being was, but the warm feeling in his mind, the soft, gentle voice, the feeling of understanding, he welcomed them. The alien female, for Daniel had decided that it was, indeed female, judging by the voice in his head, gave a deep, rumbling, but soft purr as she gently stroked his hair. _Don't cry, Daniel. You're not alone,_ she said softly. Daniel felt more tears as he bowed his head, a swirl of emotions running through his troubled mind. She stroked his face gently as she purred.

She gently grasped his chin, raising his head. She purred as she softly nuzzled him. Her skin was soft as silk, and slightly wet, but warm. _No one should know such sorrow._ She looked into his face as she cupped his cheek, her clawed thumb gently rubbing his cheek. _I won't let you be sad or scared or alone anymore,_ she said as she pulled him against her, all four of her arms wrapping around him in a soft, tender embrace. Daniel gave a shuddering breath as she cradled him against her.

Just as warm as her physical embrace was a mental one. Along with her voice, her feelings and emotions flowed into his mind. In all his life, he had never felt anything so warm and gentle as her mental caresses. For the first time since his wife and child had died, Daniel Gywnn smiled as the great alien female cradled him tenderly against her. His mind and body at peace, he fell asleep in her arms.

It seemed like no time at all had passed when she gently woke him. _Wake, Daniel._ He blinked as he came back to consciousness. He was still in her arms. She brushed a strand of hair from his forehead. _They'll be looking for you soon._ Daniel frowned, not at all wishing to leave. She sensed his apprehension, and purred as she nuzzled him. _I'll be right here, waiting for you tomorrow. I'm not going to leave you, Daniel._ He squeezed her gently.

"Please, what is your name?" he asked. She purred as she tilted her head.

_We have none. I know myself well enough without one,_ she replied. Daniel frowned. She smiled as she cupped his cheek. _But, if you wish, you may call me "Aurora"._ Daniel smiled as he stroked her face.

"Thank you . . . Aurora. I promise I'll be back tomorrow." Aurora purred as she nuzzled him. He couldn't be sure, but, as she set him down, he thought her lips had very briefly caressed his cheek.

_Promise me you won't hurt yourself,_ she said sternly, but still gentle. Daniel stared at her for a moment before he smiled and nodded.

"I promise." Aurora purred as she caressed his cheek one last time. Daniel turned and headed back the way he had come, the sound of Aurora's purr resonating and echoing through the tunnel.

Daniel made it back to the gardens just as they came out to gather the patients and bring them in for dinner. It took a lot of effort to keep from smiling, as he knew that would draw unwanted attention.

That night, instead of hoarding the medication, Daniel spit it into the toilet. When he crawled into bed, he felt a feeling of comfort and relief. The coolness of the sheets felt welcome around him as he settled down.

The next day, Daniel was brought out to the gardens again. Daniel sat at one of the picnic tables in the garden, his breakfast sitting in front of him. Brimple smirked as he walked up.

"Nice weather, isn't it, Drool-Face? Since you're not eating that, mind if I have it?" As Brimple leaned in, Noodle looked up from his okra, a wide, toothy grin on his face.

"Mornin' suh! That be a good breakfast, 'cause Danny been droolin' all ova it all mornin'!" said Noodle happily. Brimple stopped and looked at the eggs and toast before pulling back.

"Uh, why don't you finish it?" said Brimple as he ruffled Daniel's hair before wandering off to bother someone else. Noodle grinned.

"Tha' outta learn tha' varmint," muttered Noodle, who smiled at Daniel. "Y'all finish yo food, 'efore that fat sidewinder comes back." Daniel couldn't help the tiniest smile tug at his lips as he ate the rest of his breakfast.

After breakfast, Daniel returned to the woods, easily finding his way back to the tunnel and under the old well, where Aurora scooped him up in her arms once more.

Over the days, and then weeks, Daniel would return every day and spend time with her. When she held him in her arms, he felt like all the world was so far away, it didn't matter. The warmth and comfort from her mind calmed him like he never thought possible.

Ever since his wife died, Daniel had built up walls in his mind to shield him from reality, to try to block out and keep at bay a world he couldn't stand. Aurora, however, was easily able to get around and over those walls, but with nothing but the best of intents. Just as she cradled his body, she cradled his mind lovingly and tenderly, speaking to him and sharing with him in a way no human being ever could.

The dreams that had once been nothing but pain and sorrow, reliving his memories of his wife, now didn't hurt as much. He didn't know how, but he knew it was Aurora's doing, and he was eternally grateful. He was surprised when the dreams began to change, and, instead of just him and Amy walking on the beach, Aurora was with them, holding Daniel's other hand. That wasn't the only dream to change in that way. He once dreamed of kissing Amy, but when he pulled back, he was staring at Aurora. It didn't trouble him, really, but it did confuse him.

One day, he asked her. She smiled as she tenderly stroked his face.

_Daniel, the love you and your wife shared was something wonderful, and you should never forget it. But, you have to be able to let her go. She loved you with every fiber of her being, and she would have wanted you to be happy, this I know._ He felt tears at this. Aurora softly cupped his face with her smaller hands. _I also want you to be happy, Daniel._ Even though she didn't have eyes, her gaze was intense, yet, at the same time, tender. He blinked away his tears as he held her gaze.

"Why?" he asked. She smiled softly, her face inches from his.

_Because I love you._ With that, she softly pressed her lips to his. Daniel was taken aback, not just at the gesture, but the warm, loving feelings that flooded into his mind, filling every part of his being with gentle, fuzzy warmth. Aurora crooned softly as her fingers ran through his hair. Daniel cupped her face as he returned the kiss. He was almost breathless as he pulled back, his eyes lidded.

"I love you, too." Aurora smiled as she kissed him again.

XXX

The next day, Daniel couldn't help being disappointed at the fact it was raining. Not that he minded the rain, but they didn't let the patients outside when it was raining.

Presently, Daniel was sitting in the rec room, the same blank expression on his face as always. Yet, inside, he was smiling wide as he remembered the warmth and the love he had shared with Aurora.

The soft sound of the rain pattering on the windows added to the calmness. Noodle was humming some old song as he tried once again to build his house of cards.

"Hey, nutzos!" Brimple said as he swaggered into the rec room. Daniel inwardly groaned at the appearance of the fat, balding orderly. As usual, nobody really paid Brimple any mind. Daniel remained impassive as always, while Noodle switched to whistling as he managed to get the second level of his house of cards to stay. Brimple grinned as he casually flicked one of the cards as he walked by, bringing down the whole house of cards. Noodle looked at the collapsed house of cards, staring for a moment before he threw up the cards in his hands.

"Ollie-ollie-otzen-free!" Noodle yelled. Brimple grinned as he walked around. Daniel inwardly growled, wishing he could reach his foot out and trip him. As he looked around the room, Brimple looked at Mary, who was making paper figures with scraps of torn paper and tape. The fat orderly grinned as he sauntered over to where she sat.

"Hey, freak, how's the project?" he asked. Mary seemed to ignore him, casually pulling a length of tape from the roll and applying it to the paper figure of a giraffe she was making.

Several such figures surrounded Mary. There were wolves, deer, lions, sheep, cows, all sorts of different animals made from torn paper and tape. If she had enough tape and paper, Mary could probably remake Michelangelo's _David._ Brimple looked at the roll of tape and grinned. Daniel felt his insides go cold when Brimple snatched up the roll of tape. The reaction of Mary was almost instant.

"_Gimme my tape, you fat worthless weasel-wad!"_ she screamed as she almost pounced on him.

The calm of the room was instantly shattered as Brimple and Mary grunted and growled as they tried to overpower each other, knocking over a table loudly as Mary tried to get her precious roll of tape back, and Brimple tried to push her away.

"Get off me, you crazy bitch!" he yelled, shoving his hand against her. Mary snarled and snapped her teeth at his hand, more out of threat than an actual attempt to bite. Brimple pulled his hand back, startled. He growled, balling his hand into a fist as he snarled. He bared his teeth as he threw his fist at Mary, but the blow never connected with its target.

Daniel was sent sprawling as Brimple's fist connected to his left cheek, sending him crashing into Mary, both of them landing in a heap on the floor. Brimple just stared. Daniel had almost seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in front of his fist. Mary pulled herself out from under Daniel and cupped his face.

"Danny?! Danny?!" she yelled as she tried to wake him. She looked up at Brimple, her eyes wild, a murderous fire burning in them. _"You killed him!"_ she screamed.

It was at that moment that the other orderlies came running in.

"What the hell happened?!" asked one of the male orderlies. Bimple inwardly panicked.

"That crazy bitch tried to bite me! And Danny's been faking it this whole time! He attacked me!" Brimple said, pointing at them as Daniel softly groaned. The other orderlies were desperately trying to calm the other patients, some of them were screaming or sobbing or mumbling. Two of the orderlies carefully helped Daniel to hist feet, each of them holding one of his arms.

"Easy, Daniel," said one. The other shot Brimple a threatening look as they escorted Daniel to his room. As they entered the hallway, the second orderly growled.

"That's the biggest load of BS I've ever heard! Daniel's never so much as spoken, and that fat bastard expects us to believe that Daniel attacked him?!" The first orderly frowned.

"I heard about Brimple from the last place he worked at. Heard he got canned for beatin' up on the patients. And something else they wouldn't discuss . . .," the orderly let the meaning hang. They both sighed.

"I tell you, if Doc Andrews wasn't so concerned with his damn four-day weekend, we'd have this looked into _tonight_," growled the first orderly. The second orderly shook his head.

"_Four-day_ weekend? Where do _I_ sign up?" They continued to talk as they escorted Daniel to his room.

As they tightened the restraints around Daniel's ankles and wrists, the orderlies felt sorry for him. They knew he wasn't at fault, but they had to follow procedure. The older orderly, Charlie, smiled sadly as they filled the pressure syringe with tranquilizer.

"You just sleep tight, Danny," said Charlie as he injected the tranquilizer into Daniel's neck.

_Aurora, can you hear me?_ Daniel asked as Charlie and the new orderly checked his restraints.

_Yes, Daniel. What happened? I felt pain from you._ The worry was evident in her feelings and tone.

_Aurora, I don't think I'll ever be able to see you again . . .,_ he mentally mumbled as the Thorazine began to take effect, making his brain feel like scrambled jello. _I love you. And I would rather live in the dreams with you . . . than all alone._ Those were the last coherent thoughts he could form before his mind faded into a drugged, half-asleep stupor.

XXX

Brimple frowned deeply as he walked into the woods. It was all the fault of that damn Drool-Face, Daniel. And that crazy woman. He growled as he walked with purpose. As he reached a certain tree, he grinned darkly as he reached into a hollow and retrieved something. He pulled out a large folding knife and snapped the blade open. He grinned. He'd make them both pay.

The last two times, they had blamed the patients. It worked before, it'd work again. Third time's the charm, as they say. He grinned further. Since Mary was the one who took a butcher's knife to her husband, she'd be the first one they'd blame. Brimple giggled as he stroked the back of the blade.

Suddenly, a sound caught Brimple's attention. He turned at the unexpected noise. It sounded like some sort of distant . . . hiss? He frowned, the knife clutched tightly in his hand as he followed the source of the noise. He found himself standing in a partial clearing, near a great, old oak. As he looked around, it was silent, except for the sound of a breeze blowing the leaves of the trees in the evening winds. Just as he was about to leave, Brimple heard the sound again. He walked over and could see something obscured by leaves and vines.

A hole in the ground. He blinked as he knelt down on his knees and looked down the hole into the darkness below. Suddenly, a large, long, black, segmented tail shot up, wrapped around his neck, and dragged him into the hole before he had the time to scream.

Brimple awoke to a strange sound. He groaned and frowned as he tried to place what it was. As his mind came back to consciousness, he realized it was the sound of breathing. He groaned again as his eyes fluttered open. At first, he couldn't see anything, as it was far too dark. As his eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light, he could see a shape of some sort over him. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't.

Something was holding him down. He felt his chest, and was disturbed to feel something warm and slightly wet. He tried to sit up again, but whatever it was restraining him was as hard and unyielding as steel. He he stared at the form above him, light gradually shone from behind it, the light of the moon, shining through a long tunnel. Brimple's eyes grew wide in sheer, unrestrained fear at what the light illuminated. A huge face loomed over him, but not a human one.

There were no eyes in the dark face. A huge, flat crest splayed out behind the inhuman, demonic face. The dark lips curled back, revealing long, transparent, sharp teeth, more teeth than he'd ever seen on a living thing in all his life. Brimple began to scream as the thing stared at him. Not even his worst nightmares could compare to the monstrosity that towered over him, holding him down with what he realized were its hands.

A wet sound drew the attention of both Brimple, and the creature. He looked up, trembling at something sitting just over his head. It was some kind of pod, leathery in texture. From where he was, he could just barely see the top opening like a flower of some sort. Everything was still for a few moments. Then, he heard another wet sound from the pod as tiny fingers, covered in slime, appeared over the side. His eyes grew wide at the tiny nightmare that was emerging from what he realized was an egg. A monster's egg. He looked at the beast who restrained him. It's lips peeled back further from it's teeth in a horrific, sadistic grin of Alien delight as Brimple resumed screaming as loudly as he could, his screams and yells echoing through the tunnels until they were abruptly cut off.

XXX

Daniel couldn't tell one moment from another while he was drugged. Everything seemed to blend and melt together. Every now and then, he could hear something like a faded, distant voice. It almost seemed to echo, but he couldn't quite hear. He tried to reach out to it, but it seemed to slip out of his grasp whenever he tried. It made him recall the wonderful, warm dreams he had of a strange, wonderful being called Aurora.

_Those weren't dreams, they were real! _said part of his mind.

_How could they have been real? _he asked himself.

_Do you think that warmth was just a dream? Was her love all a dream?_ the other half of his mind asked.

_All of it was a dream. I've been in here all this time, restrained. It was all in my head. I really _am_ crazy, just like they said,_ Daniel replied, his voice tired, defeated and sad.

_Do you really think that? Aurora didn't. She loved you, she still does! _his other half roared.

_Just leave me alone . . .,_ Daniel sobbed as he pulled into himself.

Daniel opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of his room. His mind was much more lucid, so he guessed the drug had worn off. He sighed, feeling the tough, leather restraints around his wrists and ankles. He had no idea how long he had been like that, and could barely remember anything. He couldn't help the tears as he felt so cold and alone. He closed his eyes, a silent sob wracking his body.

He heard the door of his room open. He opened his eyes, blinking tears from them as he looked down at the open door. What he saw stunned him.

A tall, dark figure stood on two thin legs, a long, segmented tail weaving behind it. The head was long and curved, with no indication of anything that resembled eyes. The overall form was skeletal. The strange, tall being moved forward with inhuman grace on all fours, coming up and staring at his face as it knelt next to the bed. It reached a large hand up, the long, skeletal fingers gently stroking his hair.

_Father . . .,_ the voice was soft, gentle and unmistakeably feminine. Daniel's eyes flooded with new tears as Aurora's daughter purred. She looked at the restraints and hissed as she took hold of the one around his left ankle and began to pull, the metal frame of the bed groaning.

"Wait," he whispered. She stopped and looked at him. He closed his eyes and, in his mind, showed her how to undo the restraints. She nodded and, in a few short seconds, he was free as she pulled him into her arms, cradling him tenderly and lovingly against her. She had been about to leave, when Daniel stopped her. "We can't leave any traces," he warned softly. He showed her his idea, and she smiled softly. She re-fastened the restraints before scooping him up in her arms and gracefully disappearing out the door, her long black tail trailing behind.

Noodle was humming to himself in the rec room as he tried once again to build his house of cards. At the door, Charlie and the newer orderly, Vincent, were talking, both looking bewildered.

"How in the _hell _did he get loose? The damn restraints were still closed!" said Charlie, holding a cup of coffee, shaking his head. Vincent blinked and scratched his head.

"Yeah, and all the doors are still locked. He couldn't have gotten out any of the windows, and none are broken. The only other way out would be on the roof, and there's three locked doors between there and his room!" Vincent took a bite of his doughnut. Charlie nodded.

"Not to mention a three-story drop," quipped Charlie.

Noodle hummed as, at long last, he finally finished his house of cards.

"Rummy! All it needed was the _Queen of Hearts_," he said as he looked at the final card, the Queen of Hearts. What was interesting about the card, was it looked like it had been very carefully torn into four equal pieces, just big enough to cover a door's bolt, to keep it open, then taped back together.

Mary looked at Noodle from where she was making a paper figure of a strange animal with an elongated head and tail. She looked at Noodle and smiled.

"Need more tape?" she chirped. Noodle looked at her and they both giggled knowingly.

XXX

Daniel smiled from where he sat on Aurora's crest as she walked through the woods, her daughter walking besides her on all fours. Her face turned up slightly as she purred.

_How are you feeling, Daniel? _she asked. Daniel smiled as he looked down at her.

_Much better, now that I'm with you,_ he replied. Aurora purred deeply. The little one purred, too.

_I'm happy you're safe, father,_ said the little one, happiness and love flowing from her mind. Daniel smiled softly as he looked at her.

"Thank you, sweetie," he replied. She trilled at his thanks. The three of them came to a ridge on the small mountainside that the woods lushly covered. They looked down at the lights of the city, sparkling like diamonds in the gathering misty twilight. Daniel closed his eyes and breathed deeply of the fresh air. He looked down at Aurora as she purred. "So, where do we go from here?" he asked. Aurora smiled as she looked up at him.

_Wherever we wish, my love,_ she replied. He smiled as they looked up at the lights that shimmered below. As they walked past some rocks, Daniel saw an old, weathered, wooden sign laid against a dusty rock. The lettering was almost worn off, he could just barely make out the words:

_**Welcome to the Aurora Mines.**_

**Author's note:** This story was fun, but also a little hard to do. Noodle's accent was kind of hard, as people who really have that sort of accent are kind of rare, nowadays. An extra thanks goes to my mother, who, as part of her nurse's training, helped in mental facilities. She helped me give this an element of realism.

Thanks for reading.


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